Oi! Bambola!!!

[snowleopard]

Get any closer and we'll have to get married.....

Snow Leopard on left, Eloise on right. Last time I was down at the yard there was a ruddy great Catana there. Did somebody wash it in hot water??

 

[Colin_S]

Like the garage - what do you park in there when you're afloat?

 

[snowleopard]

[ QUOTE ]
Like the garage - what do you park in there when you're afloat?

[/ QUOTE ]

Any vessel failing to give way /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[boatmike]

I can see that by the dinks in your stem......

 

[catmandoo]

Pardon my interest but how did you get photos in ?

 

[Colin_S]

Have a look here in the top right hand corner for step by step instructions - http://www.topcatsail.co.uk/Top_Cat_Sailing_links_02.html

 

[Sea Devil]

What a coincidence!

Amazing photo - made me smile - Really look forward to meeting you in spite of the fact yours looks bigger than mine!!!

Only seen her once - The last owner has put the sails back on - I never saw them. Not sure how hull polishing is going to go starboard stern. Always belived in love at first sight......... Hope it lasts!

Maybe Eloise has been moved - there was a dirty great cat being built - refitted on the other side before. Feel really excited to see her again - thank you!

 

[MacW]

That sure is some machine you built, Snow Leopard !
I find as my years advance I am beginning to lean towards a multihull, but I`m not sure if I`m well enough heel`d to buy one !

 

[Sea Devil]

[ QUOTE ]
That sure is some machine you built, Snow Leopard !
I find as my years advance I am beginning to lean towards a multihull, but I`m not sure if I`m well enough heel`d to buy one !

[/ QUOTE ]

Mine is nice too! Seriously I looked round the catamaran market a lot recently and the prices seem relatively lower than when I looked before about 10 years ago. Designs like Heavenly Twins and Catalac seem to be really inexpensive...

 

[snowleopard]

[ QUOTE ]
I find as my years advance I am beginning to lean towards a multihull, but I`m not sure if I`m well enough heel`d to buy one !

[/ QUOTE ]

Funny you should say that...

 

[Goodge]

Aero rig

I assume that's an aero rig you have on snow leopard.

How do you find it ?

What's your opinion on downwind performance.... does it allow you to sail better angles ?

 

[boatmike]

Looks very pretty.... Eloise I mean. Not sure about the block of flats next door though. Looks like a pretty doubtful neighbourhood to me.....

 

[snowleopard]

Freewing rig

No, not an aero rig but similar. the difference is that the mast is a freely-rotating wing which makes for a more efficient mainsail and provides a built in storm sail.

On all points of sailing except a run, the rig is rotated to keep the sails in a close-hauled setting. Where a conventional has the main stopped by the shrouds and both sails partially stalled, ours continue to work at optimum efficiency. On a broad reach the boom goes out up to 120 degrees.

On a run we just put the whole thing square across the boat (see picture <-). We have tried downwind tacking but don't generate enough speed to make up for the extra distance.

For more info, see here and click on 'pictures'

 

[Goodge]

Re: Freewing rig

Excellent pictures. Before viewing them I didn't really understand your rig from your avatar picture but all is now clear.

When we test sailed the Solaris Sunstar 32 at Soton boatshow back in 1996 that had an aerorig and I was surprised how easy it was to sail. Looks like your rig is similarly easy to handle.

 

[Sybarite]

Re: Aero rig

A French magazine tested two similar boats (Gibsea 42's I think) one rigged conventionally and the other with an aerorig. The aerorig won convincingly on all points of sailing with a smaller sail area.

John

 

[Goodge]

Re: Aero rig

I don't know if there is much additional cost but you would have thought that you would see more ' aero rigged' boats around.

I think Snow Leopard looks good with this rig and is obviously easy to handle.

The stability of that rig on the wide base of catamaran must make down wind sailing a doddle.

 

[snowleopard]

Re: Aero rig

I think I can explain why it's not popular-

a) It's expensive. The Freewing cost more than a conventional rig though part of it is recovered by not needing a lot of the deck gear and only having 2 sails. The quote from Carbospars (now defunct) was a lot higher.

b) It looks strange so puts off a lot of people

c) It's unstayed. Intuitively most people assume it imposes greater strains on the hull than a stayed rig (actually they are slightly less). At the time Team Philips lost its bows, someone said on this forum "any idiot could see that a long unsupported structure wouldn't be strong enough". (I often wonder what he thought looking out of an aircraft window at the long unsupported wing!)

d) very few people have ever tried them and don't want to spend a lot of dosh on a leap of faith.

e) there are so few around that if you want one you have to get a boat built or converted to take it.

Interestingly, the concept was tried on a bembridge redwing many years ago but it was banned from the class because it won every race.

 

[StugeronSteve]

Re: Aero rig

[ QUOTE ]
At the time Team Philips lost its bows, someone said on this forum "any idiot could see that a long unsupported structure wouldn't be strong enough". (I often wonder what he thought looking out of an aircraft window at the long unsupported wing!)


[/ QUOTE ] I remember that post, I had assumed that they were talking about the unbraced hulls, rather than the mast.

 

[snowleopard]

Re: Aero rig

Yes, he was, but the way he said it referred to any long unsupported structure. A bit like some of the NB threads round here!!

I'd do a search but going that far back might bring the database to its knees!

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Re: Aero rig

It looks much heavier than a standard rig, is it? or is it just bulkier?

I would guess without so much wire up top the centre of gravity is lower, assumption only?